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This Accountant SEO Guide Has Been Comprehensively Updated for 2023
Due to consistent algorithm updates, the relatively recent Helpful Content Update in late 2022, we’ve updated the written content that already existed on the page. We’ve written new content. And we’ve filmed new video content. Everything is up-to-date, fresh, and helpful for your accounting business to dominate Google for 2023.
How We Help Accountants Grow Their Business & See A
5.7x ROI on Their Monthly SEO Investment
Increase Google Rankings
Get your accounting website ranking on Google for high-value keywords that potential clients are searching for.
More High-Quality Web Traffic
Get more interested accounting clients coming to your website each month.
Increased Leads & Phone Calls
Get more motivated clients calling your accounting firm to schedule an appointment.
You Get Your Time Back
Stop having your receptionist writing mediocre blog content or trying to figure out digital marketing on their own.
Here's What You Want To See With Your Accounting Website & SEO
When Someone Types into Google "Accountants Near Me", You Show Up Here...
When Someone Types into Google "Accountants Near Me", You Show Up Here...
Think about the way people search for accountants. Whether for personal or business finances, they pull out their laptop or smartphone.
They go to Google and type in something like “Accountants Near Me” – the FIRST thing to show up is the Maps area of Google called the Google Local Pack. The accountants that show up here “win” because they get the most phone calls.
When Someone Types into Google "Best Accountants in [City]", You Show Up Here...
When potential clients are looking for accountants, they often use the language of “best accountant near me” or “best accountants in [city]”.
The accountants that rank in the Maps area for these and other similar keywords get the most phone calls and website visitors.
When Someone Types Queries into Google like "Is Hiring an Accountant for Taxes Worth It?", You Show Up Here..
When Someone Types Queries into Google like "Is Hiring an Accountant for Taxes Worth It?", You Show Up Here..
People in need of an accountant ask tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of questions into Google each day. Questions like…
- “How much does it cost to hire an accountant?”
- “What is the difference between an accountant and a CPA?”
- “How much should an accountant cost for a small business?”
Ranking for these keywords in Google proves that your website is “authoritative” and trustworthy.
People Are Searching Differently For Accountants Than They Used To
Just take a look and see the increase in people searching for “accountants near me” over the last five years.
This screenshot comes from a tool called Google Trends (a tool created by Google itself). You can see the steady increase in the number of people searching for “accountants near me.”
See The Common Theme? You Want To Increase Your Accounting Business's Presence Online To Be Found By Motivated Clients.
What it comes down to is, you want more people in your city that are looking for an accountant to know that you exist. Whenever they do a Google search online around accountants, you want to show up over your competitors.
How Do You Get Tangible Results With Accountant SEO Services?
Step 1: Comprehensive SEO Audit
Most SEO companies fail to do this step. And, this is the most important step of all.
How can you get your accountant SEO where you want it to be if you don’t know where it is now?
We recommend doing a comprehensive SEO audit to determine your:
- Current SEO performance
- Current SEO errors
- What your local competitors are doing
- Technical SEO performance
- And more
Step 2: Local SEO Visibility Audit
The goal for accounting SEO is to increase your “local visibility,” as we like to call it.
We use robust and powerful third party tools to run an “SEO visibility test” on your business. This allows us to see how visible your business is on Google.
The report looks like this:
Step 3: Create a Roadmap Based on Data
We now have a lot of data from the SEO audit and the local SEO visibility audit to use moving forward.
SEO for accountants should be strategized based on the data gathered. Most other SEO companies fail to do this and just assume that something will work.
We recommend creating a comprehensive roadmap based on the data. If the data shows that your website is loading very slowly (which is negatively impacting performance), you should probably put your efforts towards fixing that first!
Step 4: Implement Highest Priority Changes First
Here’s where the magic happens:
Not all SEO tactics are created equal.
Adding internal links on a blog post from 2015 won’t make as big of an impact as improving your homepage’s content.
So, according to the data, you should target the “low hanging fruit” opportunities first.
You don’t have a Google Business Profile set up for your accounting business? You should probably create one! You don’t have a services page? You should probably build that first before worrying about the images on your About Us page.
Step 5: Local SEO Best Practices & Content Creation at Scale
Local SEO for accountants comes down to:
- Consistent information that Google trusts
- Accurate information
- Authority
If your business phone number on your website is different than what’s on your Facebook page, that’s a red flag for Google.
Google won’t want to rank your business because it can’t trust that a user will actually get through to you if they try to call.
Having consistent NAPs on high-authority directories across the internet is vital.
Now, in regards to “authority,” that’s where content comes in. If you create content that answers the questions that your target audience is asking, then Google will see your business as more authoritative than an accounting firm that doesn’t have any valuable content on their site.
Step 6: Meticulously Track Data
The goal of SEO is to have a tangible impact on your accounting business. You want to get increased website visitors. Increased phone calls. And to ultimately have those activities lead to increased revenue.
To ensure your SEO campaign is performing successfully, you must track data. Build a comprehensive dashboard that gives insights into your:
- keyword rankings
- website visitors
- phone calls
- and other important KPIs
Accounting SEO Services Shouldn't Be 
Cutter - Everything Is 100% Customized To Your Business
Accountant SEO isn’t the same as SEO for other types of businesses. Unfortunately, many other SEO companies fail to recognize this. They use the same tactics and strategies that they use in other industries, thinking that it’ll work for accounting. That’s not the best way to do it.
We treat your business as unique. We take an individualized approach to each individual industry (such as accounting), to your specific city (Los Angeles might be different than a smaller town in Iowa), and your specific website (is your website built on WordPress or Webflow).
5 Tactical Local SEO Strategies for Accountants
Strategy 1: Google Business Profile Optimizations
This is an example of an accountant’s Google Business Profile:
This is what is shown on the front-end of a Google Business Profile. The part that a Google searcher can see.
Why do Google Business Profile matter for accountants?
Google Business Profiles are important ranking factors in order for your business to be relevant enough to rank in the Google Local Pack. If you forgot what the Google Local Pack is, below is a screenshot:
Optimizing your Google Business Profile helps you get found there ☝️
And, when you show up in the Google Local Pack, you get more phone calls and website visitors than your competitors. You WIN.
So, how do you properly optimize your Google Business Profile in order to land a spot in the Google Local Pack?
The answer is… this one’s important… Comprehensiveness.
Optimize your Google Business Profile by providing as comprehensive information as possible.
There are many sections that you can provide comprehensive information, such as:
- Your categories
- Your main description
- Your services
- Your products
- Your photos
Here’s a quick example that showing the difference between comprehensive and not comprehensive for an accountant:
For your main description, you may just be inclined to write something like… “We are an accounting partnership dedicated to taking full care of your finances.”
Sounds motivating, but that is just one sentence… Google allows 750 characters for the main description. Use them! Do you offer small business accounting? What about cash flow management? Do you offer personal financial planning? How about Quickbooks setup?
Answering EVERY possible question is how you can be more comprehensive on your website.
Strategy 2: On-Page SEO for Your Homepage and Location Pages
“On-page SEO for accountants” is just a fancy way of describing the content on your website.
It includes things like:
- Your title tags
- Your meta description
- Your header tags (H1, H2, H3)
- Internal and external links
- Your images
- And basically anything that you can put on a website page
On-page SEO for accountants matters. Why? Because Google cares about it.
For single-location accountants, the most important page on your website, from a local SEO perspective, is the homepage. For multi-location accountants, the most important pages on your website are your location pages.
When doing on-page SEO for these pages, you want to use SEO-friendly content through keywords while also providing as comprehensive information as possible to both the user and Google.
For example, instead of a title tag like “Johnson, Craig & Associates – 503.444.4444” you can give Google more context by writing something like “Trusted Accountants in Downtown Portland – Johnson, Craig & Associates.”
Strategy 3: Website Architecture Best Practices
This is an underrated SEO strategy for accountants. Your website architecture and your sitemap are intimately connected.
Google crawls your sitemap to understand your website architecture, which in turn allows Google to understand what your website is about.
Here’s what a sitemap might look like to Google.
A little complicated, right? Don’t worry about it too much. What you need to know is that when Google looks at a sitemap like this one, it’s figuring out what your website is about (which is essential for local SEO).
The main point is that your website structure should make sense hierarchically. Let’s use two of the main services that accountants offer – 1) tax services and 2) financial planning.
Where do these pages need to live on your site? First, you should probably have a “services” page that has the URL structure similar to .com/services/
Now, any services that you offer (such as tax services and financial planning) should live UNDER this main services page, like this:
- .com/services/tax-services
- .com/services/financial-planning
This seems like a given, but many websites do this incorrectly, leaving out the hierarchy entirely. Instead, every page lives directly under the homepage. See below:
- .com/services/
- .com/tax-services/
- .com/financial-planning/
- .com/business-consulting/
With this structure, it’s not clear to Google that “Pet Vaccinations” is a service that you offer. It’s just another page on your site!
Strategy 4: Content Creation at Scale
Let the fun begin. Potential clients search for thousands of questions into Google every day.
Some are super local:
- best financial planning accountant in Portland
- small business accounting consult near Portland
Some are generic:
- What is needed to set up QuickBooks?
- What do I need to file taxes?
- How can I best keep track of payroll?
- Is TurboTax worth it?
If you answer these types of questions through comprehensive blog articles on your website, it will achieve 2 things:
1. You may rank in Google for these keywords and drive more traffic.
2. Google will notice and look at your website as an authority when stacked up against your competitors. Google will think, “They’re answering all of these accounting-related questions that users have. They must know their stuff. Their website must be more valuable than local competitors who haven’t answered any questions at all.”
Strategy 5: User Experience is a Bigger Deal Than You Think - Stop the Keyword Stuffing!
Old SEO strategies are out the window. Keyword stuffing… PBN link building… all the things that used to work.
Google’s more intelligent now. And Google’s starting to understand that a user’s experience on a website is important.
What does this mean for you as an accountant?
- Make it easy for users to find what they’re looking for. They shouldn’t have to spend 5 minutes deciphering whether you offer forensic accounting services or not.
- Make it easy for users to contact you. Your phone number should be clickable on a mobile device. You should also consider an online schedule so someone can easily schedule an appointment. Anything to make the user’s experience as EASY as possible.
- When writing content, your main priority is to add value to the reader. You can no longer get away with outsourcing writers who produce vague, keyword-stuffed articles. Your content should thoroughly answer the user’s questions and add value to them.
The Top 4 SEO Mistakes That Accountants Make (Tip: Don't Make These Mistakes!)
Mistake 1: They don’t fill out their Google Business Profile in detail (or they don’t have one!)
The majority of accountants spend very little time setting up their Google Business Profile (around 3 minutes total). And, they spend even LESS time updating it each month (yes, it’s ideal for accountants to be updating their Google Business Profile each month). Not only that, but they leave out important details that Google’s bots like to look for. But not only bots, potential customers too!
Here are some of the specific mistakes we’ve seen:
- Writing a short description, even though Google gives you 750 characters. Fill that thing up with valuable copy that’s SEO friendly about your accountant practice! When did you open your accounting firm? Can customers send you their forms digitally?
- Not adding custom accountant services. Do you specialize in tax accounting? Budgeting? Small business taxes? Mention everything you do!
- Not adding as MANY pictures as possible! Who doesn’t love to see a smiling accountant? Show your staff! Pictures of the inside and outside of your office work great as well.
Mistake 2: They don’t list all of their services properly on their website
Some accountants might not put a lot of thought into their website. They’re accountants, not web designers, after all.
They might think:
If people can find me and know how to contact me, what else is needed?
The reality is, an incomplete website can hurt Google rankings. Google’s bots love comprehensive websites with lots of complete info.
Here are some website mistakes that accountants make:
- Not listing any of their accounting services on their website (tell people all of the different options you have to help their finances)
- Listing only a few of their accounting services, like just “personal” and “business.” Do you offer “outsourced CFO” services? Do you help all types of businesses? Maybe you specialize in multi-state businesses?
- If you’re a multi-location accountant practice, not having individual location pages for all of your different offices. Maybe you have an office in Portland and one in Vancouver.
Mistake 3: They fail to create data-driven content that adds value to their target audience
Just about anybody can put together a blog post and publish it. People even train AI to do it.
But not everybody can write blog content that drives engagement, helps with SEO, and is backed by data.
In fact, the average conversation about blog content looks something like this:
“Lisa, didn’t you once write a novel?”
“Yes, but I gave up because I really like account-”
“Congratulations Lisa, you’re now in charge of the blog!”
Lisa is a fantastic accountant, but she probably doesn’t know what it takes to write data-driven content. (hint: most people do not!) Here are some common mistakes that can happen with blog content:
- The topic of the blog content is picked at random. For example, a blog titled “Best Ties To Wear for Managerial Accountants” might not generate that many clicks (except maybe from other fashion-forward accountants). But a well-crafted blog post about “How to Hire an Accountant” is much more likely to help with SEO, since that exact phrase is searched 210 times per month.
- The blog post is too short, not informative, or not relevant to the accounting industry.
- The blog post covers similar content as previous posts (duplicate content can hurt Google rankings).
- The content is spammy, not written with the intent of anybody to read it, or otherwise trying to “game the system”. If you’ve added the keyword “top 10 accountant in Portland” a million times in one blog post, Google can catch on (and it can hurt your rankings).
Mistake 4: They don’t have a repeatable process for SEO
Let’s say an accountant writes a seemingly random blog post that goes viral overnight (the one that may have been slightly too political… we know you’ve seen those pop up every once in a while!). They start receiving more calls, emails, and contact form submissions.
But as the months go by, that increase in customers starts to fade.
The once viral blog post starts slipping in Google rankings.
What now?
This is quite common. Most accountants do not have a process in place to reliably and consistently drive web traffic. Here are some common mistakes:
- They do not have a repeatable process for creating blog content.
- They might treat each new blog post as a completely fresh start, and pick a topic out of thin air – they have no plan for the future.
- They do not use any other SEO strategies outside of blog posts.
On Average, Our Accountant SEO Services Cost
31% Less Than Other SEO Companies
Compared to Other SEO Companies That Average Between $1.5k and $3k Per Month.
FAQs About Accountant SEO Services
Here are the most common questions we’ve heard.
What is Accounting SEO?
Accounting SEO is a form of digital marketing that helps accountants increase their visibility in search engines, particularly Google.
The specific SEO strategies that are used for accountants vary greatly (which is why all accounting SEO is NOT created equal).
Strategies include:
- keyword research
- on-page SEO
- off-page SEO
- Google Maps optimizations
- local SEO
- content creation
- landing page creation
- PR
- and more
Why is Accountant SEO Important?
Accountant SEO allows you to get in front of your target audience (the people looking RIGHT NOW to find accounting services).
Think about how social media marketing for accountants works: People are scrolling through Instagram or Facebook and stumble upon an advertisement for an accounting firm in their city. They might be actively looking for a new accountant, but it’s highly unlikely.
Now back to SEO, which puts you in front of motivated clints looking for what you have to offer.
SEO for accountants allows you to show up in Google for people actively looking for things like “best accountant near me” or “accountant in downtown Portland”. Ranking for those keywords has a MUCH higher conversion than people scrolling on Instagram.
How Long Does SEO for Accountants Take To Work?
Accountant SEO can take 1 week – 6 months for you to start seeing results. It depends on a variety of factors:
- How big of a city you’re in
- How long your website has been around
- How your current SEO is performing
- How high your website’s “domain authority” is
- And much more
Some of our clients have seen 2x – 3x the phone calls within a month after starting their SEO campaign. Other clients don’t see noticeable increases in phone calls for 2-3 months.
But think about it this way:
If everyone could make a couple of tweaks on their website and rank overnight for the HIGHEST value keywords out there, like “best accountant in New York City” then the internet would go haywire.
These things take time for a reason. Google built their algorithms that way on purpose.
What Accountant SEO KPIs Should We Track?
Accountant SEO should be tracked meticulously.
You want to know, without a doubt, that the money you’re investing in SEO is working for your accounting business.
So, you need to track certain metrics to ensure that the campaign is working successfully:
- Keyword rankings: Are your ranking on Page 1 of Google for your most important keywords? How are your keyword rankings changing from week over week? Month over month?
- Organic website traffic: Is your organic website traffic from Google going up or down? Which keywords are driving the most traffic to your site?
- Online lead submissions: Are you noticing more online leads? How are they changing from one month to the next?
- Phone calls: Are you getting more phone calls from people searching on Google? How are phone calls changing over time?
What Type of Content Should Accounting Websites Have?
Accounting SEO should include content that your target audience is searching for on Google:
How do we know what keywords/content your target audience is searching for? We use advanced software and tools that give us insider information and data. We, for example, know that 3,600 people per month (on average) search for “small business accountant near me”.
So, we do extensive keyword research to find the topics/questions that people in need of accounting services are searching for.
Questions like:
- “What does a staff accountant do?”
- “How much does a personal accountant cost?”
- “How to add an accountant to QuickBooks online?”
If you create content that thoroughly answers these questions, then you can potentially rank in Google when people search for these.
Also, Google will favor your site more than competitors because Google will have more trust in your site.
What are the Most Valuable Accounting Keywords for SEO?
How To Work With Us
First, you need to know – we don’t work with all accountants.
We only work with accountants that:
- Are ambitious about growing their business
- Have the bandwidth to take the growth that will come from working with us
- Treat their employees and their customers well
Step 2
Check Your Email
In less than 24 hours, one of our talented SEO specialists will send you a 3-5 minute customized video analysis. It will go over opportunities for you to outperform competitors.
Step 3
Sit Back And Watch Your SEO Skyrocket
Just look at our case studies of the success that other Portland businesses have seen. You can have the same results.
If you’re looking for Portland SEO services, we can help. Give us a call today to learn more about our pricing and availability.
Let's Take Your Accounting Business From the "best kept secret" to the "most sought after brand"
